I just finished an article for Farm
Collector magazine that’s slated for the August issue of this year. The opening paragraph shares some survival
challenges that many wagon makers faced a few years after the turn of the
20th century. While some, more dominant
agricultural brands like John Deere, International Harvester, and Emerson
Brantingham were busy buying up wagon companies during this period, others were
starting to have trouble making ends meet.
The automobile was making its presence felt and there would be no turning back.
As early as 1904, there were literally hundreds of firms building autos in the U.S. Reinforcing this pressure, larger wagon brands were tying up wood resources, making it hard for many competitors to acquire adequate materials. Times were changing and changing fast. For horse drawn vehicle makers, it was the beginning of the end. Hard times did not discriminate. Large, small, and intermediately-sized builders suffered. One strong regional maker that seemed to quickly succumb to shifts in consumer buying habits was the Olds Wagon Works in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The business was established in 1881 and had been well known for building quality, reputable products. Nonetheless, at just over a quarter century in age, the firm had decided to face the music.
As early as 1904, there were literally hundreds of firms building autos in the U.S. Reinforcing this pressure, larger wagon brands were tying up wood resources, making it hard for many competitors to acquire adequate materials. Times were changing and changing fast. For horse drawn vehicle makers, it was the beginning of the end. Hard times did not discriminate. Large, small, and intermediately-sized builders suffered. One strong regional maker that seemed to quickly succumb to shifts in consumer buying habits was the Olds Wagon Works in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The business was established in 1881 and had been well known for building quality, reputable products. Nonetheless, at just over a quarter century in age, the firm had decided to face the music.
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The Olds Wagon brand was a strong competitor during the late 1800’s. |
An article from 1907 outlines the
closing of the buiness...
“The Olds Wagon
Works, one of the oldest manufacturing establishments in the city, will retire
from business. Scarcity in timber, general
rise in the price of skilled labor, with no corresponding increase in price in
the finished product, are the reasons assigned.
The plant will close as soon as the present raw material on hand is
worked up or disposed of. The Olds Wagon
Works was organized in 1881 by Henry G. Olds, father of the men who are now at
the head of the institution, and at first about 200 men were employed in the
institution but of late years as demand for their product decreased the force
dwindled until at present there are about seventy-five men employed, nearly all
of whom are skilled wagon builders.”
For modern day collectors, this type of information
not only provides historical background for individual vehicle provenance but
also can be helpful in narrowing down a production timeframe. Based on several period articles we’ve
uncovered, it indeed appears that all manufacturing of Olds brand wagons ceased
in 1907. It’s an important detail as any
surviving Olds wagons will clearly be beyond a century in age.
With multiple patents and innovative
designs to its credit, the company was clearly a progressive competitor. Late 19th century advertisements claimed that
the wheels had 3/4 to 7/8 inch more spoke tenon in the hub. As a result, the company professed that the
wheels were “three times stronger” than others.
Peak output of the wagon works is said to have been around 50 vehicles
per day. While the production rate was
not as high as prolific builders like Studebaker, it was significant enough to
have been a solid competitor to just about any wagon builder. Certainly, the
Olds plant was far from a small-time operation.
As a parting thought, we’ve received emails in the past asking if there
is any connection between the Olds Wagon Works and the Oldsmobile brand of
automobile. Other than similar names,
the businesses were not connected.
Please Note: As with each of our blog writings, all imagery and text is copyrighted with All Rights Reserved. The material may not be broadcast, published, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written permission from David E. Sneed, Wheels That Won The West® Archives.
Please Note: As with each of our blog writings, all imagery and text is copyrighted with All Rights Reserved. The material may not be broadcast, published, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written permission from David E. Sneed, Wheels That Won The West® Archives.
